As I have been slowly chipping away at my office space, and stripping away most of the chaos, clutter, and consequently much of the color, I am realizing just how much I still need a jolt of happy bright color here and there to stay inspired and creative. It’s funny what you learn about yourself when you remove things from your life. I am working on a very special side project at the moment and it is fast moving from beginning to end so organization is absolutely crucial for my sanity right now. This means keeping everything I need at arms length and yet completely out of site so it isn’t distracting. Last month for the Michael’s Makers Challenge it was all about containing the chaos and curbing the stress. The storage solutions I created have been absolutely life saving these days, so when we were given the challenge of personalizing some of the items from the MAKE Market line, it seemed only fitting that I continue on that path of good looking storage solutions and organizational items, and yet instead I thought it would be mighty nice to create something that is fun and pretty to enjoy while I am slaving away in the hamster wheel of a DIY life.

The MAKE Market line is literally bursting at the seams with letters and decorative pieces that you can put your own personal stamp on. In true to me fashion… amongst all of the black, white, gold and neutral that surrounds me on a daily basis- I chose to add a little neon to my world. This project can really be done with any color under the sun, so if neon isn’t your thing – go for gold, or blue.

MATERIALS //

Acrylic Letters

All Surface Craft Paint, Spray Paint, or Chalk Paint

Sealant – optional for delicate or thin paint. Mod Podge would work beautifully.

Foam Brush – if using acrylic paint

Epoxy – optional for securing the letters together for each word

Spray or paint the backside of each letter. This will mean choosing a side for letters that aren’t directional (like O or T) and flipping the directional letters over so they are facing the wrong way (like C or P). Build up the color with thin layers of paint. Let dry completely, and if your paint is delicate, consider giving it a bit of a sealer coat.

When you are finished adding color to your letters, you can set, hang or fasten together to form words. If you choose to secure together the letters for a word (helpful when you have roundy letters like O or C), use a heavy duty glue that states it will work with plastic.

I haven’t decided if I will hang these pieces or let them lie on a nearby surface. Either would make me happy and I love how these look exactly as if they were made from neon acrylic.

This collection of surfaces, letters, frames and more come in modern, eclectic or rustic styles. From natural and finished woods, to a variety of metals, resin and patterned styles, the possibilities are endless.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can always take a look at some of the fun projects on Michaels.com or the other 49 Makers’ ideas on The Glue String for to see how they personalized their crafts!